Email simulation exercises (sometimes referred to as “e-tray” exercises) are usually designed to help firms evaluate your ability to carry out the types of tasks that you could face if you were working in the role, meaning these tests can come in many different forms and are usually tailored to each firm.

You will likely be assessed on your ability to identify relevant information, then interpret, process and analyse that information in order to respond to questions under pressure. As part of this assessment, you will usually need to demonstrate your organisational and time management skills, ability to work under pressure, proficiency using computers and attention to detail (on that note, be sure to carefully read and follow any instructions you receive!). 

Format

E-tray exercises are typically based within a programme that looks like an email client, complete with folders of information and a fictional inbox. Emails typically flow into this “inbox” over a set period of time and contain the types of questions and requests you may receive during a training contract.

These simulated emails can cover a whole host of tasks and topics. You may be required to provide an update on a particular matter, or to ascertain the amount owed by a particular client to date. You may be asked to identify to whom a particular email or request should be forwarded. You may need to solve specific problems or recommend commercial courses of action. You may have to decide how best to delegate a particular task or which emails/issues should be prioritised. Some questions might look a little like situational judgment or numerical reasoning questions. And so on.

E-tray exercises commonly present questions in a multiple-choice format, and you will usually need to base your answers on information provided before or during the test. For example, during one e-tray test that I completed, the relevant information was contained within a variety of documents, each of which had been buried within a structure of folders and sub folders. Having to quickly find the relevant information definitely added to the time pressure and meant I had to work accurately and methodically to complete the test on time. 

Approach

If you’re told how many emails or questions you will need to deal with in total, be sure to keep track of how many emails you have responded to whilst completing an e-tray exercise. Emails may come into the inbox over a period of time and may disappear once you have responded to them, so if you don’t note down the number you have responded to, you may be unable to ascertain how many more you will need to deal with before your time is up. This can make it very difficult to pace yourself, as I learned first-hand when completing my first e-tray exercise.

If you are given reading time at the start, make sure you at least skim through all the available folders and documents in advance, as at least you will then have a rough idea of where to start looking during the test. When completing one particular test, I spent so much time trying to write notes during the reading time that I only managed to go through half of the folders and documents before the emails started to flow. This meant I had to go through dozens of folders mid-test in order to identify relevant information, which - needless to say – resulted in a pretty stressful experience.